From The Ashes Of Defeat
by ResurgentClone
Summary: You must begin by gaining power over yourself; then another; then a group, an order, a world, a species, a group of species... finally, the galaxy itself. -Darth Plagueis


**Hi everybody, I'm back! :D To my follwers, I apologize for my absence and for those who are raging, yes I'm also sorry this is not an update on Stargate Effect. Well kinda sorry :P anywho, I'm finally back in college, so I've decided to stop dragging my feet and try and get back into writing again, so here goes! Oh and one final note, this may appear as a crossover, but I'm not locating it as such as it will alter from the perceived path later on, possibly a mutli crossover at a later stage so it can't be clarified under 2 headings, so I'm just chucking it into Mass Effect. Sorry ME fans, your gonna have to wait till it gets to the good stuff! And without further ado, we're off!**

* * *

"Oh c'mon! That's just bulls**t!" I shouted at the console. After all who wouldn't? I had just finished Mass Effect 3 and I was not a happy camper. Talk about plot holes. Like a conveniently placed super weapon? Heck if they could build that thing so fast and with such large-scale cooperation, what not chuck Farixen out the window and make a few dozen dreadnoughts. Heck it even said the Asari were having successes against the Reapers in hit and run tactics. Why not everyone try that? And the Geth! Hell they should be able to take on reasonably sized Reaper fleets, even board them since indoctrination isn't a worry. Even the Turians, just because they're persistent doesn't mean they're retarded. Humanity pulled out of Sol because it was a lost cause, it took the Turians getting their asses kicked and then kicked a few more times before they stopped and that was because of they were going to attack an even larger Reaper fleet. Although I did find the beginning of the battle funny. After all, those stray shots that missed the Reapers and had to keep going and all I saw was the Earth behind them. All that build-up with PR by Bioware and for what? To me it's looking like a giant middle finger to the public.

"What did I tell you?" Andrew said.

"And what did I tell you? I replied.

"Any spoilers and I'll see if it's possible for a human to put another human through 2 feet of concrete?" Andrew answered.

"Exactly." I replied happily. "I need some air after that disappointment."

"Go ahead. The ending may suck but the online part is pretty decent." Andrew said taking up the controller.

"Fine, I'll be back in a bit." I stated.

* * *

I got up off the couch and taking my beer went out to the other side of the apartment onto the balcony. I gazed out over the city of New York soaking it all up. I had done pretty decent for myself in life. Went to college, got a degree in computing and got a job programming for some antivirus company. Of course they didn't realise I used that knowledge to create a virus that skimmed a few bits here and there off some major accounts. Besides, it's not like even their great grandchildren will go through all that money. Strictly 7 figure accounts minimum people, I have a few morals after all. Life was good, a little boring but good.

"Indeed it is a fairly uneventful life." A voice said behind me. I froze, because it definitely wasn't Andrew's.

"Calm down my friend, I am not here to hurt you. Just turn around, I'd rather not have this discussion with the back of your head." The voice said with a hint of amusement. I turn around slowly to take in the person before me. I raised an eyebrow as I take him in. He is quite on in his age, if the white beard, white hair and wrinkles are anything to go by. Still he is tall and holding himself up quite proudly. Dressed a little funny, after all capes weren't exactly New York but his outfit looked expensive! Still I think I can take him. You have a few million in your account and nothing to do, you end up doing random things to pass the time, Karate being one of them. Plus he doesn't have a gun so that's a bonus.

"I may not have a firearm, but I assure you I am armed." The old man states.

"Uh huh. Sure. Okay who the hell are you, how did you get in here and what the hell are you doing here? You've got 5 seconds before I drop your ass or in the off chance you have a gun, I scream as loud as possible for help. It may not be the manly thing to do, but dammit it works." I reply, readying myself. The old man just looks at me for a moment before he starts chuckling. And it's a damm familiar chuckle too, I just can't put my finger on it.

"Ah it's good to laugh, nice and carefree. Now I will answer all your questions but may we be seated first. I have a business proposition for you Mr. Hayfield." The old man says.

"You broke into my apartment to offer me a business deal? You could have knocked, although with this more dramatic entrance I'll admit you've gotten my attention easier." I say as I brush past him to sit on the balcony bench. "Grab yourself a drink if you want one."

He raises an eyebrow at me, "Your taking this awfully well considering."

"Considering what? If you wanted me dead, you had the drop on me. Likewise if you wanted to rob me. I've got no family to ransom me off to so that's a dead end. You want to offer me a business deal, I'm all ears."

Shaking his head, the old man grabs a whisky bottle and pours himself a drink. Chugging it in one he pours himself another and sits down. "Okay Mr. Hayfield. Now as to your questions before we get onto business. My name is Count Dooku, the door was unlocked and I am here to offer you a new life."

I stared at the 'Count' for about 5 seconds before I erupted into laughter. "Oh sure, the great Count Dooku who doesn't even exist has travelled the galaxy to find me." I manage to say between breaths before I started to laugh again.

"I understand your scepticism but I assure you this is no joke." The 'Count' replied.

I look at him with scepticism, "Alright say it's true, why don't you just chop this table here in half with your lightsaber and thrown it off the balcony with the force?" I challenge.

He sighs and if a flurry of movement he activates a bloody lightsaber, trashes my $500 coffee table and with a flick of his hand sends it careening into an apartment across the street. Count Dooku turns around to me and asks, "Satisfied?"

I look at him in shock, barely believing my eyes despite it just happening. "I..Uh…You're.. You're really him?" He nods his head. "But how…I…but your reality isn't real. It's a science fiction film, a bloody story!"

"In this universe yes. I'm not exactly sure how it happened but right after Sideous betrayed me and Skywalker beheaded me, that was painful for a split second I might add, I ended up here, in orbit of Pluto I think you call it, in my solar sailor."

"And you came straight here to me?" I asked

"Please use that thing between your eyes you were born with. Of course I didn't come straight here. I've been in this system for about a month now. No once I got my bearings I went into hiding on one of Pluto's moons. I needed time to think. For some reason the dark side of the force is quite powerful in this system, although surprisingly vacant on this world. I shudder to think what will happen to the first colonists on Mars. I decided that I didn't want to die on some blasted rock, so I made for the only inhabited planet in the system." Dooku answered.

"But what about satellites, radar, even telescopes! How were you not seen?" Thinking frantically about any recent news pieces on UFO's.

"I've spent the entire clone wars slipping past the security systems on Coruscant. Some backwater world with a handful of antiquated satellites won't stop me. I tried to focus on slipping into your society but for some reason I cannot forget what has happened, what that bastard Sideous did to me. So I decided to start anew and prepare for a return to my reality with my own army. I am going to make that scum pay and that's where you come in Mr. Hayfield."Dooku said staring at me.

"Me? I know I have money and I tech savvy but that's with 21st century earth tech. I couldn't probably hack a blender in your universe!"

"Not yet Mr Hayfield, not yet. You see I spent a day in meditation over your planet. I didn't want to jump into a situation where only a handful of pockets of the force resided. Due to there being only half a dozen pockets, it took mere minutes to sense through them all and that is how I found you, the strongest force sensitive person on this planet, although that is not saying much in general terms."

"Whoa slow down, I'm a what!" I shout.

"Force sensitive. You're the only person on this planet that has enough of a connection of the force to learn to harness it in training."

"You mean, become a Jedi?"

"Mr. Hayfield look who you are talking to. I may have been betrayed but I am still Sith and under my tutelage, you will be too."

I sat there dazed, my mind trying to cope with an information overload and shutdown at the same time. So obviously my only coherent response could be, "ummm…..eh?"

Pouring himself another drink, the Count assumed a much more imposing posture. "Mr Hayfield, unfortunately time is not on anyone's side here, despite how much I would like waiting around drinking through your liquor cabinet. I'll put it in simple terms. I want revenge. I want what was stolen from me, but I also want to unite my galaxy under a peaceful and prosperous rule. That fool Palpatine has no idea what he is getting himself into. Subterfuge and politics are his only strengths, although I'll admit he is a strong duellist. But if he attempts to rule a classic style Sith Empire through military strength, he is doomed to fail and the galaxy will be worse off for it. Now this is where you come in Mr. Hayfield. In my own galaxy I am the Count of Serenno and leader of the CIS. Here I am nobody. I have a single ship, and although it is the most advanced piece of tech around, it still leaves me with nothing. But you Mr. Hayfield, you have wealth, resources, knowledge and contacts. Combined my skill and experience in the political field, advanced tech to reverse engineer and the occasional mind trick here and there, we have the capability to achieve our goals. So what do you say?"

I look back into my apartment, my comfortable easy lifestyle, before turning my gaze across the balcony and the view of the city below. Slowly I turn back to the Count. Stretching out my hand I say, " I think we have an accord."


End file.
